Leagues & events
Pickleball Inc. eyes multibillion-dollar future amid sport’s boom
Courlo Team · · 1 min read
The platform is scaling its pro leagues, media reach and global footprint as participation and investment surge nationwide.
Latest from Pickleball.com
Back in 2022, billionaire investor Tom Dundon partnered with PPA Tour founder Connor Pardoe to acquire the tour and consolidate assets under Pickleball Inc., a holding company that now spans retail, media, facilities, software and professional leagues.Fast forward to today, and Dundon has emerged as a driving force behind pickleball’s future.
“It seemed a pretty good bet that pickleball would grow because it’s easy to do, it’s fun, it’s easy to learn. And obviously the world knows that being active means you’re healthier,” Dundon told Sports Business Journal in a story published on June 19 by reporter Rob Schaefer. “We could then ride that movement and take the pro side and professionalize it, and that would be better for the players who wanted to make a real career out of it. It just seemed to fit.”
In May, Pickleball Inc. announced a $225 million capital raise led by Apollo Sports Capital, valuing the company at $750 million. The deal also reconsolidated its assets, including the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball, under one umbrella following their 2024 merger into the United Pickleball Association.